...and looking mean. We only wandered aimlessly for a short time before we were snatched by the assistants and led to President Nixon. He was full of smiles and experiences from his two years of presidency. His first question was to me. He asked if I played [the] piano. I didn't quite know what to answer because I had been practicing some easy to play hymns but I certainly was no pianist. He said there was an opening somewhere for a branch organist and from our pre-mailed descriptions I was to be his choice. Luckily another was sent in my place and I was given an assistant to the president as a companion. He led me around and ran me into the ground with his unquenchable desire to teach. He got us up so early, made me begin to memorizing the discussions, had us leave early and return late. I remember suffering 2 months with a burnt tongue because I didn't feel we had time to wait for lunch to cool. At night I would collapse on my bed and wonder why I wasn't enjoying the mission experiences as I thought I should. I would pray that the Lord would help change my desires so I would enjoy serving and learn to love the people.Spain was quite different from Utah because slower; they religiously kept the siesta at midday. Between the hours of 1:00 and 4:00 all the stores would close and workers would return home to eat and rest. Although life was slower, the people were dynamic and full of character.
I started my mission in the Madrid City Center and with my first transfer only move down the street to a suburb called Carabanchel. My new companion was not was not quite so earnest and hard-working. I longed to be back with a hard-working companion who would be willing to make life challenging. My prayers were answered with an assignment to be district leader and a senior companion after being in the field a short three months. Elder Tony was a great support and we learned together to teach, speak, and understand the Spanish language. Every two months after that assignment I was given a new Elder and we started again. Since I had a short time to learn all the ropes, I'm afraid that what I had to share was superficial and only enough to get by.
It was about this time that I received word that my father had a heart attack. I was assured by everyone that he was recovering well and even he would write and speak of how soon he would be completely recovered. The most challenging time I had was with an Elder from California who had come for the wrong reasons and made life difficult by being sick when he didn't want to go out, and [he] didn't want anything to do with the Spanish when he felt well enough to get up. My district was sensitive enough to take turns sitting with him until he could get himself transferred to a Stateside mission.
For Valentines in 1979, I was assigned to be a zone leader in another section of Madrid. Then moved to Oviedo in the north to work with another former assistant to the president. Only three or four weeks passed after hearing of my dad's heart attack when the president and his wife stopped by to visit me. I knew when I saw them that Dad had died. They comforted me and offered what help they could. I spent that night crying and wondering why I had felt that he would be fine. I was allowed to call Mom the following Sunday from the President's office. She was strong for me... Next Page
No comments:
Post a Comment